Combination locomotive jack and driver lift



June 30, 1925. 1,543,807-

J. S. TOWNSEND COMBINATION LOCOMOTIVE JACK AND DR IVER LIFT I Filed y 51. 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 3, 1925. 543M? J. s. TOWNSEND COMBINATION LOCOMOTIVE JACK AND DRIVER LIFT Filed May 31, 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 June '30, 1925.

1,543,807 J. s. TOWNSEND COMBINATION LOCOMOTIVE JACK AND DRIVER LIFT Filed Ma 31, 192s e sheets-Sheet s 5mm 35% 11253. I gl' g gg gqyy I J. 8. TOWNSEND COMBINATION LOCOMOTIVE JACK AND DRIVER LIFT Filed May 51, 1923 s Sheeis-Sheet 4 fawn-5 and Jun 30, 1925. 1,543,807

. J. s. TOWNSEND COMBINATION LOCOMOTIVE JACK AND DRIVER LIFT Filed May 31, 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 zazz June 30, 1925. 1,543,807

J. 5. TOWNSEND COMBINATION LOGOMOTIVE JACK AND DRIVER LIFT Filed May 31, 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented June 30, 1925.

Tm'rao .srares JOHN S. TOWNSEND, OF HARVEY, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB/ T0 ITING CORPORATION,

01 HARVEY, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

COMBINATION LOCOMOTIVE JACK AND DRIVER LIFT.

Application filed May 31, 1923. Serial No. 6%,t56.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN S. TOWNSEND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harvey, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Combination Locomotive Jacks and Driver Lifts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for raising and lowering excessively heavy wheeled vehicles; for instance, railroad locomotives, and for handling the wheels of such vehicles, specifically locomotive driv-, ing wheels when removed from the vehicle for the purpose of repair or replacement.

The object of this invention is to provide a device in which the same motor-driven elevating or depressing mechanism is selectively usable in engagement with lifting bars placed under the vehicle or with a transfer table by means of which wheels belonging to the vehicle may, after severance from the vehicle, be transported out from under it for repair or other purposes.

The invention consists in means-some of great, some of less importance-capable of attaining the foregoing objects; which can be easily and comparatively cheaply made; which is satisfactory in use and which is not liable to get out of order. The invention further consists in many features and details of construction which will be hereafter more fully set forth in the specification and claims.

Referring to the drawings in which like numerals designate the same parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a plant for handling a railroad locomotive or its drivers, as the case may be, illustrating this invention in its preferred form, in which the hoisting mechanism is utilized to transfer the locomotive wheels first into a pit below the locomotive and ultimately to elevate said wheels out of the pit at a point to one side of the locomotive where they are ready to move away on a parallel track.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism of Figure 1, taken on the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is 'a sectional end view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan view of an alternative form of device in which the locomotive wheels, after removal from the locomotive and being lowered into the pit below it, travel a track in the pit to a point where they are removed therefrom by any conventional mechanism not entering into this invention, specifically as shown at one end or the other of the locomotive itself.

Figure. 5 is a sectional end view on the line 55 of Figure 4.

' Figure 6 is a sectional side view on the line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view 0 the end of a beam which carries the wheel hoisting mechanismshowing the manner in which it detachably connects the elevating o hoisting mechanism proper. 1

Figure 8 is a side view of the mechanism of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is an end view taken partly in section on the line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 corresponds to Figure 7, except that it shows the end of a beam which extends cross-wise on the main track rails under the locomotive to be lifted.

Figure 11 is a sectional end View on the line 11-11 of Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a side view taken from the left side of Figures 10 and 11.

In the preferred form of construction, conventional railroad track rails 14 are provided to carry in conventional manner all of the wheels 16 and 18 of the locomotive 20 which it is desired to, for purposes not entering into this invention, lift, from the rails or from which it is desired to remove one or more sets of driving wheels 16. The floor 21 between these rails and the spaces 22 and 24 immediately adjacent to the sides thereof may, except for the recesses hereafter de scribed, be flat, solid, conventional concrete. Extending parallel with the track 14 are a. plurality of elongated pits 26 formed in the concreteor other suitable floor material heretofore referred to, and each such pit is provided with parallel truck or trolley tracks 28 adapted to be traversed by the to on which wheels 16, removed from a vehicle standing on or above track 14, are to be ultimately rolled away.

Track 14 is also cut away at points on opposite sides of pit 34 to make room for parallel lifting beams 38, lyingvvhen in lowered position as shown in Figure 2--in rectangular recesses 40 formed for them in the concrete or other floor material of the plant. Each of these beams carries oppositely disposed U-shaped hooks 42, each lying in a pit 26 and having its opening 44 facing toward the drop pit 34. Each beam 38 also carries parallel rail sections 14, interfitting with the rails 14, towhen the beams are in the position of Fi re 2-make a substantially continuous trac over which a locomotive or the like on rails 14 may pass, as illustrated in Hardy Patent No. l,085,7 34, issued February 3, 1914. v

Extending longitudinally of the wheel it 34 is a wheel carrying frame or trans er table, the same comprising parallel, spaced apart beams 46, extending the length of the pit; transverse strong spacing members 48 carrying rails 14 adapted to register with rails 14; and lighter transverse spacing members 50, carrying rail sections 36*, registering with rails 36 heretofore referred to. This transfer tableis so shaped that when in its lowest position shown in Figure 3, the members 48 lie on opposite sides of a stationary pedestal 52, below the center of track 14, while members 50 he on the opposite sides of another pedestal 54, below the center of track 36. The two pedestals just 'referredto carry aligned rails 56 interfitting in the position shown in dotted lines of Figure 3 with corresponding rails 58 carried by the transfer frame 464850 whereby, when all of the parts are in the dottedline position of Figure 3, a wheel transfer car 60 may be moved from pedestal 52 to pedestal 54 or vice versa.

This wheel transfer table is adapted by mechanism hereafter described to be moved between the full line and dotted line 0- sitions of Figures 2 and 3 and is locka 1e in the full line or elevated position by means of latch bolts 62 controllable b manually operatable lever 64 operating t rough any suitable means, as for instance a conventional link 66. Figure 2 in full line shows the latches 62 holding the frame in elevated position with track rails 14 in alignment with rails 14 and in dotted line position shows the retracted position of these bolts 62 wherein they do not interfere with the vertical movement of the transfer table.

Spaced beams extending parallel to and located on opposite sides of track rails 14 above and in alignment with the pits 26, heretofore described, sustain this transfer table 46 on suitable connections of such a character that though the transfer table is locked in elevated position by the bolts 62, the operator may at will by mechanism hereinafter described move the beams 70 between the dotted and full line positions of Figure 3, In the particular case here illustrated, these suspension devices take the form of U-shaped metal links 72, rigidly connected at their upper ends to the beam 70, say by pins 74, while their lower rounded ends pass loosel aroundpins 76 in the transfer table mem is 46, the result being that when the transfer table is locked in elevated position and the beams 70 are depressed, the link members 72 simply slide downward over the pins 76 while on the other hand, when the frame is not locked in elevated position by bolts 62, the frame is suspended on these members 72 and moves up or down in unison with said link members and the beams 70 which sustain them.

As noted in the opening statement, one of the main problems solved by this invention is to provide a power lifting mechanism which can be utilized at the will of the operator to either elevate the beams 38 when placed under the opposite ends of a locomotive or the like, as fully explained in said prior Patent 1,085,734, or to elevate and control the beams 70 toso handle the wheel transfer table 46 that a set of wheels '16, belonging to a given locomotive 20 standing on track 14, may be dropped into the pit 34 onto transfer car 60 standing on pedestal 52, thence manually rolled over track 58 to pedestal 54 from which it is elevated by the transfer table to track 36 on which the wheels can be moved away. This desired result is accomplished by providing each trolley 32, heretofore referred to, with an independent motor driven hoisting mechanism so located with reference to the hook 42 on the adjacent beam 38 and with fork members 80 on the end of the adjacent beam 70 that such lifting apparatus may be selectively used to elevate the desired set of beams of the device. To attain this'result, each trolley 32 is provided with a vertical mast 84 of any conventional constructionin the particular case here illustrated an I beam-the same carrying and conventionally su porting a vertically disposed rotatable lifting screw 86 operatable by a conventional mechanism not entering into this invention, by an electric motor 88 Figure 1, one for each trolley, the same being suppliedby means not en tering into this invention and therefore not from the locomotive.

shown-with electric current from an external source of supply. 'Each of these screws 86 is threaded through a vertically reciprocable cross-head 90 traversing guides formed on or carried by the mast 84, in the particular case here illustrated, conventional tracks 92 arranged on the flanges of the I beam as clearly shown Figures 7 and 10. v

Figure 1 shows the forks 80 of the differ: ent beams sustained by these cross-heads 90 in the position which they assume when the operator is manipulating locomotive wheels 16 through the wheel pit 34 to or When the locomotive itself is to be hoisted, the trolleys 32 are moved along their respective tracks 26 away from forks 80, the cross-heads being lowered as necessary until the U-shaped hooks 42 rest upon the respective cross-heads, whereupon the operator can manipulate the motors to raise the beams 38 to elevate the locomotive itself.

In order to keep the forks on beams 70 and the hooks 42 on beams 38 from contacting screws 86 when resting upon cross-heads 90, thus interfering with the proper operation of the screws, and also to prevent the forks and hooks bearing on the cross-heads to tilt in such a manner that the load from the beams carried causes the cross-heads to tip in such a manner as to cause them to unduly bind on the screws, special mechanism shown in Figures 7 to 12, inclusive, is provided.

On the upper surface of each cross-head 90 are two blocks 94, located on opposite sides of the adjacent screw 86, of such width that as clearly shown in Figure 7, they prevent the forks 80 placed over them from shifting laterally into contact with the adjacent screws 86 of such a height that, as shown in Figure 9, they project up into the space 96 between the forks 80 of a beam carried by that particular cross-head. These blocks 94 are, however, sufficiently narrow so that, as shown in Figure 7, they do not interfere with the ready replacement and removal of the forks 80 on the crosshead. On the upper surface of each crosshead on opposite sides of the screw 86, passing through it at right angles to the normal position of forks 80 which are to rest on that cross-head, are two aligned knife edges 98, adapted to be directly engaged by the forks 80 of the beam 70 which is to be carried by that particular crosshead. The result of this construction is that the beam is supported on these knife edges 98 in conventional manner, and the load strain created by the beam is transmitted by these knife edges to the crosshead 90 in the plane of these knife edges which is co-incidental with the central axis of the screw 86 with the result that the load from the adjacent beam 70 does not tend to twist the cross-head 90 against the screw 86 and thus cause it to bind.

As the hooks 42 on the beams 38 have their openings 44 toward the side of the beams, it is impossible to follow the ideal arrangement of Figures 7, 8 and 9 and provide knife edges at right angles to the central axis of beam 38. Under the circumstances, the best which can be done is to provide diagonally placed, aligned knife edges 100 on the'top of each cross-head 90 in such a position that, as shown in Figure 10, oppositely disposed parts of the hook 42 of a beam-38 being carried by the crosshead will engage these knife edges 100, with the result that as before, the load from a beam 38 does not cause a twisting of the adjacent cross-head 90 on the adjacent screw 86.

In order that knife edges 98 may perform their functions in connection with the beam 70 without interference by knife edges 160, and that knife edges 100 may perform their functions in connection with beam 38 without interference by knife edges 98, the latter knife edges are, as clearly shown in Figures 8 and 11, made substantially higher than knife edges 100, and the lower surface of each hook 42 is provided with recesses 104 allowing hooks 42 to entirely clear knife edges 98 when they rest on knife edges 100. The result of this construction is that when beam 70 is applied to a cross-head 90, as shown in Figures 7-9, its forks 80 rock freely on knife edges 98 without striking knife edges 100 and that when the lifting mechanism is removed from beam 70 and applied to beam 38, the hook 42 of that particular beam rests and properly operates upon lmife edges 100 without touching knife edges 98.

The base of each U hook 42 is provided with a notch 106, Figure 12, which allows it to pass over an adjacent block 94 into contact with knife edges 100. The interfitting just described, taken in combination with the fact that knife edges 100 lie in angularly disposed recess 107 in the bottom of hook 42, prevents hook 42 moving to the right as viewed in Figure 10 into engagement with screw 86.

The concrete or other floor is provided at the proper points with pits 110 and 112 into which'the cross-heads 90 and, if desired, thebeams 70 carriedby them, may descend as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, when the transfer table is lowered to the bottom of wheel pit 34.

Operation, preferred structure.

In the complete operation of the mechanism of Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, assume that a locomotive 20 has been moved to the position shown diagrammatically in Figure 2, with a pair of drive wheels 16 to be removed resting on track section 14 of the transfer table 4648. The operator starts motors 88 to cause them to all manipulate their respective vertical lifting'screws 86 enough to lift the transfer table to such a height that the operator can readily manipulate lever 64 to release latches 62 from and becomes supported thereon with the result that the rail sections 14 pass below and clear of the driver flanges 120, as is clearly shown in dotted lines of Figure 3. In this position, all the operator has to do is to push the drivers now carried by car over track 58 until the car rests on track section 56 on pedestal 54 whereupon the operator starts is motors 88 to cause the screws 86 to elevate the transfer table, with the result that rail sections 36 engage the driver wheels 16 arid thence carry the wheels upward until such time as rail sections 36 are in alignment with track 36, whereupon the operator simpl rolls the wheels which have just been andled along track 36 to any desired point. In order to apply a .pair ofwheels on track 36 to a given locomotive, the operation just described is sim ly reversed.

If, having completed tlie wheel handling operation just described, the operator desires to elevate the entire locomotive off from track 14, he leaves the transfer table permanently locked in position by latches 62, causes motors 88 to operate the screws 86 to lower the beams until they rest in pits 110 and 112, whereupon a slight further lowering movement causes the crossheads 90 to disengage from and clear the forks 80, whereupon the operator can by any suitable means move each trolley 32 along its tracks 28 until the screw 86 of that particular trolle enters the notch 44 of hook 42 of the a jacent beam 38. The workmen can move one trolley at a time or different groups of workmen can move two trolleys simultaneously as just described. When the proper elevating screws have been applied to the book 42 on opposite ends of a given beam 38, the operator then starts the motors 88 adjacent to that particular beam to raise that beam 38'out of and clear of'its pit 40.

. If the beam is not then under the part of the locomotive which is to be engaged for lifting, the operator, as fully described in said earlier patent, moves both trolleys and the beam in either direction longitudinally of the locomotive until the beam is in proper position and thereupon operates the motors in unison to lift the locomotive or other velhicle operated upon. When the vehicle has operator may desire.

Alternative construction.

A simpler form of mechanism is shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6. This differs from the preferred construction principally in that the wheel pit 120 is elongated lengthwise of track 14 instead of extending across it as before, whereby the driver wheels lowered into this pit by the transfer table 122, replacing that'of the preferred form, traverse rails 124 in the bottom of the pit until they are below a discharge opening 126 far enough along rails 14 so that cfiine mechanism not entering into this invention can reach into the pit and lift them out of the pit and ultimately place them on rails 14.to

e rolled away. In this construction, parts of the rails 14 are sustained upon a roof structure 128 of the pit and cross-beam recess 130 corresponding to recess 40 of the preierred construction is also located in this roo Inthe operation of this alternative structure, start ng with the parts as shown in Figure 6, the operator manipulates the motors to lower the transfer table 122 with the wheel to be removed thereon until the dotted line position of Figure 6 is reached, whereupon the operator rolls the wheels along track 124 under opening 126 through which the wheels are removed as described. Having removed the wheels, the operator desiring to lift the locomotive manipulates the motors to lower beams 132, corresponding to beams 70 until the cross-heads 90 are released as before, whereupon he proceeds to move the respective trolleys into engagement with the beams 38 as before.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In mechanism of the class described, in combination with two separated elevatable load carrying members, a single elevating machine; means permitting movement of the machine from one carrying member to the other; and forked means on each carrying. member, each engageable with a different knife edge on the elevating machine, by

.which the elevating machine mayselectively attach itself to either carrying member to elevate it.

2. In mechanism of the class described, in combination with two angularly disposed, separated elevatable load carrying members,

ill

screw-elevating machine; means permitting movement of the machine from one carrymg member to the other; and, forked means on each carrylng member, each engageable with a difierent knife edge on the elevating machine, by which the elevatin machine may selectively attach itself to eit er carrying member to elevate it.

l. in mechanism of the class described, in combination with two angularly disposed, separated, elevatable load carrying members, a single, vertical screw-elevatlng machine; means permitting movement of the machine from one carrying member to the other; and forked means oneach carrying member, each engageable with a difierent knife edge on the elevating machine, by which the elevating machine may selectively attach itself to either carrying member to elevate it.

5, ln mechanism of the class described, in combination with two separated, elevatable load carrying members, a single, vertical screw elevatin machine; means permitting movement of t e machine from one carrying member to the other; forked means on each carrying member by which the elevating ma= chine may selectively attach itself to either carrying member to elevate it; and a block adjacent to the screw preventing the difier ent forks contacting the screw.

6., in mechanism of the class described, in combination with two angularly disposed, separated, elevatable load carrying members, a single, vertical, screw-elevating ma chine; means permitting movement of the machine from one carrying member to the other; forked means on eac carrying meme her by which the elevating machine may se lectively attach itself to either carrying member to elevate it; and a block adjacent to the screw preventing the dizderent forks contacting the screw 3', ln mechanism of the class described, in combination with two separated, elevatable load carrying members, a single, vertical, screw-elevating machine; means permitting movement of the machine from one carry ing member to the other forked means on each carrying member, each engageable with a different knife edge on the elevating machine, by which the elevating machine may chine; means permitting movement of the I machine from one carryin member to the other; forked means on eac carrying member, each engageable with a diiferent knife edge on the elevating machine, by which the elevating machine may selectively attach itself to either carrying member to elevate it; and a block adjacent to the screw preventing the diderent forks contacting the screw.

9. In mechanism of the class described, in combination with an elevating cross-headdriven by a vertical screw, airs of mife edges on the top of the crosscad angnlarl disposed to each other, the edges of eac pair being in the plane of the screw axis, and the tops of the diderent'sets of mite edges being on diderent, horizontal levels.

10. lln mechanism of the class described, in combination with an elevating cross head driven by a vertical screw, airs ofhife edges on the top of the crossead angularly disposed to each other, the edges of each pair being in the plane of the screw axis, and the tops of the diil'erent sets of knife ed es being on difierent, horizontal levels, an two load carrying members to be applied to said cross-head from dilferent angles, each load carrying member having parts which embrace the screw and take caring only on a predetermined pair of wife edges assigned to that particular load member,

ii, in mechanism of the class described in combination with track portion. for a vehicle, and a remote track portion on which wheels irom said vehicle are be placed, there being one wheel pit below the level of sail track portions having wheel entrances which, .=-espectively cut away parts said track portions, a pedestal in said pit below each of said pit entrances, a transfer car on one of said pedestals adapted to move to the other pedestal, transfer table vcrtica'lly movable in said pit, at prop ill) Elli

er points rail sections capable of being made to register and interfit with each of said first track portions, and carrying between a said rail sections a part which can be placed between said pedestals so that said transfer car can pass over it from one pedestal to the other, and means for vertically reciproeating said transfer table between an upper position in which its rail sections register with first tack parts and a lower position in which said transfer car carrying part registers with said pedestals.

12. In mechanism of the class described, in combination with a track portion for a vehicle, and a remote track portion on which wheels from said vehicle are to be placed, there being one wheel pit below the level of said track portions having wheel entrances which, respectively, cut away parts of said track portions, a pedestal in said it below each of said pit entrances, a transer car on one of said pedestals adapted to move to the other pedestal, a transfer table vertically movable in said pit, carrying at proper oints rail sections ca able of bemg ma e to register and into t with each of said first track portions, and carrying between said rail sections a part which can be placed between said pedestals so that said transfer car can pass over it from one pedestal to the other, means for vertically reciprocating said transfer table between an upper position in which its rail sections register with said first track parts and a lower position in which saidtransfer car carrying part registers with said pedestals, and means for detachably locking the transfer table in its upper position and for then detaching the vertical reciprocating means.

13. In mechanism of the class described, in combination with atrack portion for a vehicle, and a remote track portion on which wheels from said vehicle are to be placed, there being one wheel pit below the level of said track portions having wheel entrances which, respectively, cut away parts of said track portions, a pedestal in said pit below each of said pit entrances, a transfer car on one of said pedestals adapted to move to the other pedestal, a transfer table vertically movable in said pit, carrying at proper points rail sections capable of being made to register and interfit with each of said first track portions, and carrying between said rail sections a part which can be placed between said pedestalsso that said transfer car can pass over it from one pedestal to the other, means for vertically recipro-' eating said transfer table between an u per position in which its rail sections register with said first track parts and a lower position in which said transfer car carrying part registers with said pedestals, and track parts for said transfer car on said pedestals and the car carrying art of the transfer table in alignment with each other in the latter position of the table.

14. In mechanism of the class described, in combination with a track portion for a vehicle, and a remote "track portion on which wheels from said vehicle are to be placed,

there being one wheel pit below the level of said track portions having wheel entrances which, respectively, cut away parts of said track portions, a transfer car down in said it capable of movement through the pit rom a point below one wheel entrance to a point below the other wheel entrance, a transfer table vertically movable in said pit, carrying at proper points rail sections capable of being made to register and interfit with each of said first track portions, and means for vertically reciprocating said transfer table between an upper position in which its rail sections register with said-first track parts and a lower position in which vehicle wheels carried on one of said track sections are deposited on said transfer car, then below them, and said track sections so carrying the wheels are moved on to clear the wheels while restinghon the transfer car.

15. In mechanism of the class described, in combination with a track portion for a Vehicle, and a remote track portion on which Wheels from said vehicle are to be placed, there being one wheel pit below the level of said track portions having wheel entrances which, respectively, cut away parts of said track portions, a transfer car down in said pit capable of movement through the pit from a point below one wheel entrance to a point below the other wheel entrance, a transfer table vertically movable in said pit, carrying at proper points rail sections capable of being made to register and interfit with each of said first track portions, means for vertically reciprocating said transfer table between an upper position in which its rail sections register with said first track parts and a lower position in which vehicle wheels carried on one of said track sections are deposited on said transfer car, then below them, and said track sections so carrying the wheels are moved on to clear the wheels while resting on the transfer car, and a transfer car carrying track operatively supporting said car to when the transfer table is in the last position permit the car to pass between its above extreme positions.

16. In mechanism of the class described, in combination with a wheel pit for the reception of car wheels, a table vertically reciprocable in said pit, means for locking it in a predetermined elevated position, a beam above the table connected to the table by suspension devices effective for elevating only, screw elevating means detachably connected to the beam and means on which the beam rests when the elevating means is detached from the beam located a distance from the table, when in said elevated positiOn' less than the effective lengths of the sus ension devices.

'1 In mechanism of the class described, in combination with a wheel pit for the rcception ofcar wheels, 2. table vertically reciprocable in said pit, means for looking it in a predetermined, elevated position, a beam above the table connected to the table by suspension devices effective for elevating only, the same consisting of U-sha e members 72 rigid on the beam and sliding over pins 76 on the table, screw elevating means 'detachably connected to the beam and means on which thebeam rests when the elevating means is detached from the beam located a distance from the table, when in sai elevated position less than the effective lengths of the suspension devices.

I In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

.ioHN s. TOWNSEND. 

